A sample of an epithelial lesion which may be keratinized is disclosed in which an analytical system including an imaging system is provided to detect precancerous and cancerous cells. A transepithelial non-lacerational brush produces sufficient cells from all three layers of the epithelium so that an analytical system comprising a programmed computer can detect which cells exhibit abnormal keratinization and require further examination because of a likely suspicion of said pre-cancerous and cancerous conditions. The method and system can apply to the diagnosis non-cancerous conditions as well.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A method to detect abnormal cells in sample cells of epithelial tissue of the body, such sample cells having been collected by non-lacerational techniques collecting said sample cells from among the superficial, intermediate and basal layers of said epithelial tissue, wherein said method analyzes the sample cells, said method comprising: using a computer to detect and display selected cells of said sample cells, analyzing the selected cells collected to detect abnormally keratinized cells, wherein said epithelial tissue is oral mucosa, said method includes the step of analyzing the sample cells to determine if cells have been collected from the basal layer, further including that if no abnormal cells are detected, the step of determining that if cells have not been collected from said basal layer that the detection of abnormal cells was incomplete and the analysis should be disregarded.
2. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the step of imaging said abnormally keratinized cells.
3. The method as set forth in claim 2, further comprising the step of selecting the most suspect abnormal cells among the sample cells and imaging said suspect cells.
4. The method as set forth in claim 2, further comprising the steps of detecting which of said sample cells exhibit abnormal morphology and classifying said cells which exhibit abnormal morphology.
5. The method as set forth in claim 4, further comprising the step of conducting a morphological closing.
6. The method as set forth in claim 5, further comprising conducting a sizing to yield a first group of candidate cells.
7. The method as set forth in claim 6, further comprising the steps of conducting a morphological closing of cells associated with the presence of abnormal keratinization and conducting a sizing of said cells associated with the presence of abnormal keratinization to yield a second group of candidate cells.
8. A method to detect abnormal cells in epithelial tissue of the body according to claim 7, further comprising the step of analyzing the first group of candidate cells and said second group of candidate cells to rank those having the highest abnormal morphology and displaying a subset of said cells.
9. The method as set forth in claim 7, further comprising the step of displaying the highest ranked cells from the first group of candidate cells which show the presence of color characteristics associated with abnormal keratinization and visually inspecting the displayed cells.
10. The method as set forth in claim 6, further comprising producing a second group of candidate cells related to color saturation characteristics.
11. The method as set forth in claim 10, further comprising the step of imaging the first or second group of candidate cells.
12. The method as set forth in claim 10, further comprising the step of analyzing said first and second groups of candidate cells to rank those cells having the highest probability for being abnormal cells.
13. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the step of detecting color properties associated with abnormal keratinization.
14. The method as set forth in claim 1, comprising the step of staining said cells to produce a stained appearance of abnormal keratin.
15. The method as set forth in claim 14 comprising the step of algorithmically classifying said stained cells, imaging said stained cells, isolating cell nuclei from said image, conducting a morphological closing and conducting a sizing to yield a first group of candidate cells.
16. The method as set forth in claim to claim 1, comprising the step of setting a threshold level relating to characteristics of the sample cells and detecting when the characteristics of said sample cells exceed said threshold level.
17. The method as set forth in claim 16, wherein the characteristics of the sample cells relate to the color characteristics thereof.
18. The method as set forth in claim 17, wherein the color characteristics relate to color saturation.
19. The method as set forth in claim 18, wherein the color characteristics relate to the appearance of abnormal keratinization.
20. The method as set forth in claim 18, wherein the characteristics of the sample cells relate to morphological characteristics.
21. The method as set forth in claim 16, wherein the characteristics of the sample cells relate to morphological characteristics.
22. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said sample cells are obtained by histological techniques.
23. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said sample cells are obtained by cytological techniques.
24. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said selected cells are in clusters.
25. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said selected cells are single cells as well as cells in clusters.
26. A method to detect abnormal cells in epithelial tissue body according to claim 1, wherein said selected cells are single cells.
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April 23, 1999
September 4, 2001
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